Inside box stapler



June v24 1924.

E. CRAIG INSIDE Box STAPLER" 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 jveibz y i/Ewald Ura@ Filed June Y so 1919 June 24, 1924:.v ,498,645

E. CRAIG( nl sIDEox sunn Filed June so. 1919 '6 sheets-sheet :5

jy f

.lune 24 1924. 3,498,645

E. CRAIG INSIDE BOX STAPLER Filed June 30. 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 lune 24, 1924.

1,498,645 E. CRAIG I INSIDE Box STAPLER Filed June 50. 1919v 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jia@ June 24, 1924.- 1,498,645 4 E. CRAIG msnm Box suman Filed June so, 1919' 6 sheets-sheet e Patented June 24, ,11924.

EDWARD CRAIG, or sT. LIOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

INSIDE Box s'rAPLEIt.

`application mea June ao, 1919. serial No. 307,716.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD CRAIG, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of St. Joseph, Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Inside Box Staplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stapling machines in general, but more particularly to those for use in connection with the manufacture of wire bound boxes or crates or boxes of similar character, and more especially to those which are constructed to enter the box and drive the'staples outwardly through 4the walls thereof.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby staples, of any 4suitable or desired length, are driven at right angles to the plane of the head or end wall of the box, and into the cleats by which the side walls of the box are connected to the heads or end walls, by mechanism which will both form and drive the staples from the interior of the box and which will drive each staple without necessitating the transferring of the staples from the staple former by which they are made, so that each staple is made by the staple former and driven directly therefrom into the work.

It is also an object to providecertain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of an inside box stapler of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig". 1 is a side elevation of an inside box stapler embodying the principles of t-he invention, showing the body or casing of the machine in vertical section, thereby to bring into View the stapling mechanism and lcertain other movable parts.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the stapling mechanism, viewed from the opposite side of that shown in Fig. 1, and showing certain portions of the supporting structure in vertical section, and showing the side wall of the box and the head or end wall and one cleat in vertical section and in position to receive the staple, the latter being shown driven upwardly through the head or end wall and Ainto the cleat.

Fig. 4 is a view si-milar to Fig. ,3,- but showing the stapling mechanism retractedA to its forming position' Fig. 54is a View similar to Fig. 4, with certaln parts omitted, and on a larger scale, showing a portion of the staple former in section.

FFig. 6 is a vertical section on line 6 6 in Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the parts in the positions which they occupy whenthe staple is fully inserted.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section onv line 8 8 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective of the loop bar or anvil and the spring support therefor.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on line 10 10 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic View showing the way in which the box is positioned and manipulated on the work `support or arm upon which the box i's'supported during the stapling operation.

Fig. 12 is a vertical detail section, on a smaller scale, on line 12 12 in Fig. 3.

As thus illustrated, the vinvention comprises a body or casing which provides a hollow upper arm 1 and a hollowlower arm 2, arranged one above the other, so that their outer ends are adjacent each other, and the other ends of these two arms being united to form a rounded housing 3 at the other end of the machine. Within the arm 2, adjacent the outer end thereof, is a hori- Vzontal guide 4 upon which is moun-ted a block ormember 5 which forms a reciprocating slide, being arranged to reciprocate horizontally and in a direction lengthwise of the arm. The outer end portion ofthe slide 5 is constructed to provide a'vertical guide for the staple driver 6, the driving portion 7 of which latter reciprocates up and down in the slot 8-of the staple former 9, the latter and said driver being of any suitable or well known form or character. The outer wall 10 of the guideway in which the staple driver and former slide up land down is preferably as thin as possible, or as is practicablc, in order that the "stapling mechanism may come close enough to the side wall Q g Leashes latter being of the well known form in which a blank, provided with binding wires on the outer surface and cleats on its inner surface, is folded around the rectangular heads or end walls, requiring the latter to be stapled to the inner sides of said cleats. For the same reason, therefore, the outer prong 15 of the. staple former is preferably somewhat narrower than the inner prong 16, whereby the Astaple when driven is inserted centrally of said cleat, and at a point the required distance from the side wall of the box. The forming block or anvil 17 is preferably secured by rivets 18, or in any suitable manner, to the flat Spring 19, which latter is secured at its lower end by rivets 20 to the wall 21 of the guide in which the staple former and staple driver slide up and l down, this guide being carried, as previously stated, at the outer end of the reciprocating slide 5 previously described. Said forming block or anvil has a notch or slot 22 through which the wire is fed into position to be exactly in line with the ends of the prongs 15 and 16 of the staple former, as well as in line with the driving or engaging portion 7 of the staple driver. Said formin block or anvil is also provided with a beve 23 for engagement with the corner 24 ofthe staple driver, so that in the driving of the staple the forming block or anvil will be automatically thrown out of the path of the driver, as shown in F ig. 8`, and whereby the driver then passes the anvil or forming block and' moves upwardly until the staple is fully inserted. When the staple driver and staple former are retracted, or moved downwardly, the spring 19 then throws the forming block or anvil 17 into operative position, as shown in Fig. 6, and the parts are then in position for the making'of another staple. A latch 25 is pivoted at 26 on the staple driver, and

, is provided with a notched end portion 27 for engaging the corner 28 of the notch 29 formed in the lower end portion of the staple former. Also, this latch 25 has a rounded portion 30 for engaging the rounded corner or cam 31 on the casing'or housing which forms the guide in which the staple former and staple driver reciprocate up and down. When the staple former and driver are in their retracted or lowest positions, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, they are locked against relative movement, inasmuch as the end portion 27 of the latch is in engagement with the corner 28 of the staple former,'as shown, being yieldingly held in this position by the spring 32 suitably applied to said latch. The staple former has l a downwardly extending rod 33 which reciprocates up and down in a guide34 on the lower end portion of the staplev driver, and a spring 35 is interposed between the shoulder 36 on the lower end of the staple former and the shoulder 37 formed on the lower end portion of the staple driver, so that when the staple driver is unlocked from the staple former by engagement of the rounded portion 30 with the stationary cam 31, as previously explained, the upper end of the staple former is then held against the under side of the work, which is 'the under side of the head or end wall 13, by the compression of the spring 35, the latter being compressed as the staple driver continues to move upwardly to insert the staple, the staple former having the usual grooves 38 formed in the opposing sides of the two prongs o-f the staple former, in which grooves the staple moves upwardly as the staple driver continues its upward movement, whereby the staple is pushed out of the staple former and directly into the work, the line of insertion being, moreover, at right angles to the horizontal plane of the head or end wall of the box.

Now the staple, it will be seen, is necessarily much longer than any staple that could be formed while the stapling mechanismv is in driving position, and for this reason the slide 5 is pulled backward to retract the mechanism into forming position,

thereby to insure a staple of the desired o-r necessary length, andthe mechanism is then pushed forward into driving position before the staple is inserted. For this purpose therefore, the slide 5 is connected by a rod 39 with a roller 40, or equivalent means adapted to engage the rotary cam 41, which latter is mounted on the drive shaft 42 and adapted and shaped to reciprocate the slide 5 in the proper or desired manner. When the slide 5 is pulled backward, wire isfed from any suitable source between the feed rolls 43 and 44, which are suitably mounted on the slide, into a tube 45 that guides the wire into position to be cut off and bent by the staple former, by the lcooperation of the staple former and said clinch block yor anvil 17so that the staple is then properly formed and held in the grooves 38 of said staple former. This feeding of the wire, it will be seen, is accomplished by the engagement of the pawl'46 with the ratchet wheel 47, which latter is rigid with the feed roller or wheel 44, when the slide is retracted, whereby the shifting of the stapling mechanism into forming position serves automatically to feed 'the proper length of wire across the path of the staple former and staple driver, so that the end portion of the wire will project beyond the vertical edge 48 of the former, in order to obtain sufficient wire to make a staple of the required length. A dog 49 yis suitably pivoted on the slide 5 and arran ed to engage the ratchet wheel 47, in or er to lock the latter against backward rotation, in the well known manner, and a spring 50 is applied to the pawl 46 to yieldingly maintain lim the latter in engagement with the ratchet wheel. rlhus, as soon as the automatic feeding of the wire has been accomplished, from any suitable source, such. as an ordinary reel, (not shown), -the staple driver and vstaple former are then started upwardly for the purpose of cutting oii' the Wire and bending it into staple form and this is accomplished by the following instrumentalities: A bell crank ,51 is pivotally mounted on the arm 2 at 52, and 1s connected by a link 53 with the lower end portion of the staple driver, this link permitting'the` shifting ofthe stapling mechanism bodily from its driving position to its forming position, in the manner previously explained. The other or shorter arm of the Ibell crank is connected by a rod 54 with the eccentric 56 on the shaft 42, which eccentric is timed to actuate the staple driver and staple former in the proper manner, so that the staple former will cut ofi' the wire before the cam 41 starts to shift the slide 5 forward, thereby insuring the cutting o of the proper length of wire. As soon as the wire is cut ofi", the cam 41 will then shift the slide 5 forward' to carry the stapling mechanism into driv- -ing position, and during this time the eccentric. 56 vis operating the bell crank `51 to tively timed, by

push the staple driver and staple formerupwardly, so that the staple points will not engage the work until after the mechanism is in driving position, and the continued operation of the eccentric 56 and the bell crank 51 will then, while the cam 41 permits the mechanism to remain in driving position, cause the staple driver to continue its upward movement, and to push the staple out of the staple `former and upwardly into the head or end wall of thel box and through the latter into the cleat by which the head or Vend wall is to be connected to the side wall of the box. It will be understoodl that the cam 41 and the eccentric 56 are easily relagiving. them the proper shape and positions on the shaft 42, to accomplish the above described mode of operation, so that the staple will be formed in one position, or while moving laterally in a general position which may be termed the forming position of the stapling mechanism, and is then driven upwardly while occupying another position, ywhich latter may be termed or designated the driving position of the stapling mechanism. In this way, therefore, the staple is driven sutilciently close to the side wall of the box, directly from the former in which the staple was made, and in a direction at right angles to the horizontal plane of the head or end wall of the box. This would not be possible, it will be seen, if the construction were such that the stapling mechanism occupied the fixed operating position below the work, for in that event the end of the wire, when pushed forward the required distance lby the feeding device, would strike the side wallll of the box, thereby preventing the proper feeding of the wire, and 7making it impossible to form a staple of the desired length; but, as explained, by shifting the stapling mechanism laterally, sufficient clearance is obtained for the end ofy the wire, and the wire can project beyond K the vertical edge of the staple former, in the manner described, and this projecting end portion will b e swung upwardly into a vertical position, of course, before the staple former and staple driver arrive in drivlng position.

The portion 57 which forms ythe outer end of the arm .2 is preferably a casting so shaped that it will accommodate the mechanism, a'nd formed with a top wall and an outer end o'r nose which will provide the bevels 58 for engaging the inner surfaces of the side walls of the box, thereby to gage the position of the staples in the box. The body portion of the arm 2 is preferably hollow, as previously stated, and is prefer'- ably oval in cross section. The portion 57 isbolted or otherwise secured-to the body of the arm 2, so that a flat or horizontal support will be provided for the heador end of this casting 57 has a slot 59 throug which the staple is driven yupwardly intol wall of 'the box to rest upon, and the to This clamp is which is pivoted at 63 within the arm 1,

and which is connected by a rod 64 with the lever 65 which is' pivoted at 66 within the housing-of the machine. The lower end of this lever 65 is pivotally connected with the end of the rod 39, so that the roller 40 operates not only the rod 39, but also the rod 64, and the operations are so timed lthat the engaging screw 61 moves downward and bears upon the cleat at about the instant that the stapling mechanism is fully restored to driving position, so that the box is tightly clamped at the time that the points of the staple begin entering the work. l

Thus, as explained,` the stapling mechanism has not only a driving position, which is a definite .or exact position, but also a forming position, and by the latter is meant4 either a definite position or a gradually changing position, the idea being that the staple is formed while the mechanism occu' pies a position other than the driving position, so that the staple after being formed, or while being formed, is shifted laterally until it arrives in driving position fully formed and ready to be inserted.

1. lln a stapling machine for operating upon work of such character that staples of sudicient length could not be formed in the driving position thereof, Athe combination of Staple-forming mechanism having a device for inserting the staples into the work, so that each staple when formed is driven before another staple is formed, means for supporting said mechanism to shift from one position to another, instrumentalities for operating said mechanism while in one position to form the staples, and while in the other position to drive the staples, devices to automatically shift said 'mechanism in one direction from the driving position to the forming position, thereby to permit feeding of Hthe staple wire beyond said mechanism, whereby the end o-f the wire will project, and from the forming position back in the opposite direction to the driving position thereof, so that the formed staple will be brought directly in line with the point ofl insertion thereof in the work, and a support. to hold the work in position to receive the staples.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said supporting means comprising a reciprocating slide which moves said mechanism bodily from one position to the other, this movement being at an angle to the driving motion of thestaple driver, so that each i staple is shifted laterally before being driven endwise into the work.

3. A structure as specied in claim l, in combination with a feeding device to feed wire to said mechanism, and means whereby said feeding device is operated when said mechanism is retracted to forming position. A. A structure as specified in claim 1, said workl support being adapted to support a box in position with the said stapling mechanism therein, and said mechanism thereby operating within the boX and serving to lrive the staples through the wall of the 5. A structure as sciied in claim 1, said mechanism` being disposed in position to drive the staples upwardly into the work.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, said supporting means being adapted to shift the mechanism ybodily sidewise.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, the.

shifting movement of the said mechanism being at right angles to the operating motion of said driver.

retenes wardly into the work, and a feeding device carried byI said slide and operated automatically by the reciprocating motion thereof to feed wire to said mechanism.

9. ln a stapling machine, the combination of staple forming and driving mechanism, a device to feed wire to said mecha nism, means for shifting said mechanism bodily along the wire into one position to receive the proper length of wire and into another position to drive the staple, and means for operating said mechanism to form the staple before the mechanism reaches saididriving position.

10. A structure as specified in claim 9, said mechanism having a staple former the Width of which is less than the length of the wire from,which the staple is formed.

11. A structure as specified in claim 9, said feeding device 4being operated by the movement of said mechanism away from said driving position.

12. A structure asspecified in claim 9, in combination with means to support the work in position to receive the staple and in such a manner that a portion of the work Which is in the path of the wire ne cessitates the shifting of said mechanism to receive the desired length of wire.

13. ln a stapling machine, the combination of a staple` forme-r, a staple driver, a

forming block -or anvil co-operating with said staple formed to form .the staple, a flat spring disposed at one side of said former and driver, means to mount one end of said spring, means to attach the forming block to the other end of said spring, so that the driver will engage the block and bend the spring outward, and a support for shifting the stapling mechanism lfrom forming to driving position.

14. lin a stapling machine, a stapling mechanism which is movable into one position to receive a sufficient length of wire to form the staple, and which is movable into another position to drive the staple, in

combination with means for feeding the wire parallel with said movement.

15. A structure as specified in claim 14, and means whereby the staple is formed before the mechanism reaches said driving position.

16. lin a stapling machine, a staple forming and driving mechanism comprising a staple former, a staple driver, a forming block or anvil, all arranged in co-operative relation to form and drive the staple, a device for Ifeeding vwire to said mechanism,

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, saidthe Sta-ple former itself being adapted to supporting means comprising a reciprocating slide upon which the stapling mechanism is mounted and a horizontally disposed guide for said slide, said mechanism being disposed upright at one end of said 65 slide in position to drive the staples up- 17. In a stapling machine, the combination of means for holding the Work and feeding the Wire from which the staples are made, staple forming and driving mechanism` means to automatically shift said mechanism along the Wire in one direction, thereby to bring said mechanism into position for the convenient forming of the staple, and for shifting said mechanism in the opposite direction to bring the staple into line with the desired point of insertion thereof in the Work.

18. A structure as specified in claim 17, and provisions for the automatic ,feeding of the Wire by the said movement of said mechanism into staple forming position.

19. A structure as specified in claim 17,

said means for holding the Work being adapted to support a box-head in position for attachment to a cleat of the box and being necessarily adapted to extend into the box for this purpose.

20.ln a stapling machine for securing box-heads or end Walls to the cleats of boxes, the combination of means for supporting the Work and adapted to extend into the box for this purpose, and staple ,forming and driving mechanism constructed and arranged to insert staples through the heads or end Walls and intoI the cleats, said mechanism having a staple former and a staple driver both of which reciprocate close to and parallel with the side of the box in position to insert the staples through the heads or end Walls and into said cleats, and means to feed the staple wire beyond the staple former and driver, so that the end of the Wire projects.

21. A structure as speciiied in claim 20, the Width of said staple former being less than the length of wire necessary for each staple.

22. in combination with devices for automatically shifting said staple forming and driv- A structurelas specified in claim 20,

ing mechanism laterally, for the purpose v specified.

Signed.

v EDWARD CRAIG. 

